


Love Hurts

by Primarina (sherlockstummy)



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Blood, Blood and Injury, Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts, Food, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major Character Injury, Minor Injuries, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-19 13:03:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10640406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlockstummy/pseuds/Primarina
Summary: Nothing will prepare you for the day that you fall in love with your soulmate.





	

Nothing will prepare you for the day that you fall in love with your soulmate. That day is absolute agony, and every day until they love you back just gets worse and worse.

Dan Avidan certainly did not look forward to finding his soulmate. He’d heard that the pains should even show up as physical representations on your body, and he just didn’t need that shit. Most humans hate being in pain, which is why the soulmate business was a bit treacherous. 

Horror stories from across the globe about unrequited soulmates committing suicide through various means because the pain was too great to bear abounded. And Dan was going places. He didn’t need that shit.

~

The pain always starts small. 

It’s the feeling of having an eyelash in his eye when he meets Arin face to face for the first time. It’s “oh shit I stepped under really hot water in the shower” when Arin gasps his name, laughing at something he said. It’s the slight burn of touching a hot bong when Arin calls his name from across the room. But the pain increases the more Danny is around Arin, and the more those soft brown eyes, his cute nose, his deep belly-laugh worm their way into the core of Dan’s being.

~

“Danny!” 

Dan winces and an angry red slash appears across the top of his hand. Scratching absently at the newly-formed cut on his hand, he swivels his chair around. “What’s up, Ar?” 

Arin beckons to him impatiently. “C’mon! The food’s here!”

Dan rises from his chair and follows Arin towards the table. The food smells good, and his mouth is watering already, stomach clenching with hunger. He’s surprised that he didn’t smell the food and trail behind Barry like a dog hoping for scraps the moment it entered the office space. 

Arin’s digging through the bag, taking everything out and handing the meals out to Ross, Barry, Suzy, Brian. Everyone heads to their favored eating spots, or takes their food back to their desks.

“Here’s yours, Dan,” Arin says, handing Dan his lunch.

The moment Arin says his name, a searing hot fire of pain runs down his thigh, and he gasps in surprise, feeling his face contort in pain without his consent.

“Dan?” Arin’s voice sounds concerned, but, of course, it causes another hot flash of pain, this time along Dan’s hip. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Dan smiles, running a hand through his hair and aimlessly kicking his socked foot around. “Must’ve stepped on somethin’. That’s what I get for deciding to take my sneakers off for once.” He sits down at the table, folding his legs carefully beneath it and trying not to wince as the waistband of his jeans rubs up against the fresh burn along his hip. 

Arin’s never once reacted to Dan saying his name, and Dan wonders if he’ll be stuck with this pain for the rest of his life, if he’ll actually be afraid to hear Arin say his name. Some unrequiteds leave their beloveds to avoid the pain, never speaking to them again. But Arin’s his best friend, and Danny couldn’t imagine leaving his side, not after everything the younger man’s done for him.

He can deal with a little bit of pain, if it means he gets to watch this adorable doofus trying to stick chopsticks up his nose, making ridiculous and horribly inaccurate walrus noises. 

After all, he’s in love. Even when he’s trying not to choke on rice from laughing so hard.

~

“Dan!” 

Arin is nearly vibrating with excitement, dancing up and down. His forehead is coated in a layer of sweat, his eyeliner is starting to run, his hair is coming out of his ponytail, and he looks like a hot mess and a half and smells like garbage. 

But Danny still loves him, even if he feels like he just got punched in the kidney and it takes all of his strength not to double over in pain. 

“Oh my God,” he tunes back in to Arin ranting. “We did it! Holy shit, that was amazing!” He’s beaming like a schoolkid, truly bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet now, and Dan opens his arms to accept the hug.

Arin is damp with sweat, and smells even worse when he’s not covering his pits, but Danny wraps his long arms around his friend and squeezes tight. “Holy shit. We did it, Arin,” he breathes, his voice hoarse from singing, the adrenaline washing off his skin in waves forcing him to sink his weight into Arin, sighing as he rests his cheek on Arin’s shoulder.

Maybe he imagined the subtle twitch of the body under his skin after he speaks Arin’s name. Weirdly enough, it’s rare for him to say his name. Usually, he’s using nicknames, but he’s too tired to select one from his sizable arsenal. He hopes Arin doesn’t mind.

He feels Arin subtly shift so that his stocky form is supporting Dan’s lanky one. He’s still in the goddamn Sexbang outfit and it’s tight and uncomfortable because he’s been wearing it for hours and the seams are chafing. But, God, does he never want to leave Arin’s embrace.

He yawns finally, eyes drooping shut, and Arin finally lets go. They’ve been hugging for way too long, but it’s not even an issue between them anymore.

“We’d better get going, Daniel,” Arin smirks, patting Dan’s shoulder.

On the outside, Dan nods, his smile a tight line. Once Arin leaves him to go find his clothes, though, Danny ducks inside the closet of a bathroom and falls to his knees, vomiting into the toilet. 

His name on Arin’s lips had turned his stomach into a corkscrew, and as what remains of his dinner vacates his body, he seriously considers going by Leigh.

~

“Shit,” Dan groans, running a shaky hand through his hair. 

Arin must’ve been playing some sort of game with the lovelies during the stream, because every other word in his vocabulary tonight has been some version of his name. Dan, Danny, Daniel. 

And his body has turned it into one massive wound, approximately right where his appendix would be. He thinks. Anyway, it’s under his ribs, to the left of his belly button somewhere. It started as a thousand little cuts, and now, combined, it’s the size of a softball, and it’s started bleeding.

“Fuck,” Dan winces as he prods the bruised outline of the mass of injuries. It makes it look like one big hole, like someone’s tried out zombie makeup on him, but it’s just thousands of shallow cuts that are now pearling droplets of blood, making trails down his side. He’s grateful that he’s wearing black.

He feels dizzy looking at his own blood. It’s not that he’s hemophobic, he thinks, it’s just that it’s been a while since he’s had to look at his own blood.

He’s expected back on the stream. The lovelies had to get to 180k for him to play Shark Shark, and they did it. He’s grateful that he can sit down; he actually does feel dizzy…

A knock on the bathroom door makes him jump. “Danny? Danny, are you okay?”

It’s Arin. Of course it’s Arin. 

Dan has to shove his fist into his mouth and bite down hard to keep from screaming in agony as a stabbing sensation hits him right in the same spot as the other scratches, and he can feel blood soaking into his shirt. It hurts so much that tears are actually cascading down his cheeks and he can’t make them stop.

“Dan?”

Danny inhales sharply as the wound pulsates, bending over the sink. It honest-to-God feels like he’s being stabbed. Fuck that noise.

“Yeah, Arin?” He returns, trying his best not to sound weak.

“You doin okay, buddy? Intermission’s almost over.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Danny replies, settling his shaking body on the closed toilet seat lid and trying to make his trembling hands reach for the cabinet where they keep the First Aid kit. “Something just…disagreed with me, is all.”

“I’m sorry, man. Can I help at all?”

Dan huffs out a quiet laugh, resting his overheated forehead against the cool lip of the sink. He’s never been a masochist, but if he had to be in pain like this because of anyone, then he’s glad it’s Arin.

Sweet, caring, selfless Arin.

“Nah, I’ll be okay, man. Thanks.” Dan smiles to himself as his long fingers curl around the roll of bandages in the kit.

He returns to play a few rounds of Shark Shark, basking in the glow of being good at a video game for once, with everyone, both here and in the chat, cheering him on. 

He barely even notices that Arin isn’t using his name at all.

~

“Arin, oh my God,” Dan’s laughing so hard that his stomach hurts, which isn’t unusual for a Game Grumps session. He’s going to get abs from doing this show one of these days.

Arin purses his lips, chomping his teeth down into his lower lip as he tries to focus. However, the game is very difficult, and he loses track of where the boss’s missiles are going for just one second…

“ARRRRRGGGHHHHH!!!” Arin rages loudly, making the readout go way off the charts, and making Dan laugh even harder as a “Game Over” flashes across the screen.

“Next time on Game Grumps,” Arin practically growls into the microphone, to the tune of Danny laughing his ass off and fighting for air in the process, “this boss is getting FUCKED!”  
“Sure, sure, buddy,” Dan breathes out into his mic before reaching up to turn it off. After doing so, he slumps back into the couch tiredly.

It’s been a long day, and so far, Arin’s managed to give him a splitting headache (which wasn’t helped by laughter), stomach pains to rival the ones he actually takes medication for, and several very painful and tender bruises on his knees. His whole body aches from straining it at the gym, and, to top it all off, he’s lightheaded and weak from hunger, having to refuse offers of both lunch and dinner because of Arin shouting his name repeatedly at the top of his lungs, causing stabbing pains to shoot through his (thankfully empty) stomach.

Had he eaten at all, he’s sure he would’ve had to vomit like he did after that Starbomb performance a month ago.

Danny closes his eyes, snuggling into the soft arm of the couch and tugging his favorite brown blanket further over himself, sighing contentedly. He could fall asleep right now, he’s so tired. In fact, that’s his intentions exactly. He’ll wake up early enough, probably, that he can get home before anyone comes to the space, and come in later, refreshed and ready to start the day.

“Dan?”

The painful throb of the migraine in his temple returns, and Dan winces, furrowing his brow before he opens his eyes. 

Arin is curled up in much the same way as he is, facing him with a somewhat serious look on his face. “We need to talk,” he says. He sounds very much like he’s trying to be confident, instead of the usual “I don’t give a shit” way he says pretty much everything, and it immediately makes Dan worry.

He rests his weary head in his hand, smiling lazily at his friend. Well, soulmate, actually. He can say that even if he thinks—no, he’s pretty sure he knows, at this point—that Arin can’t possibly return his feelings.

He’s resigned himself to eventually going mad with the pain. He’s considering going back to pot, actually. Hey, if it can relieve the pain of cancer, then it could probably help him out.

“What is it, Big Cat?” He says through a yawn, using the pet name he knows makes Arin light up.

“I, uh,” Arin hesitates. “I wanted to show you…” He starts pulling up his shirt.

“Arin,” Dan says, putting extra emphasis on the “r” in irritation. “I’m too tired to be inducted into the D Club right—” But he trails off in surprise and shock.

Arin’s chest and stomach are littered with scars. Some of them have bled, leaving little dried crusts marring his pale skin. Others are still pearling little beads of dark red blood. Arin looks sheepishly at Dan, and the older man is too stunned to speak for a long time.

“You did this to me,” Arin says bluntly, now back to his usual confident voice. “Every time you said my name today, I got a new scratch.”

“Arin…” Dan says, then covers his mouth as Arin whimpers in pain as a new, angry cut forms right before his eyes on Arin’s stomach and starts bleeding immediately. “I’m sorry…” Dan’s voice is a whisper. 

He doesn’t know what to feel, honestly. He’s in shit shape right now; sore and hungry and in ridiculous amounts of pain…all he can feel is surprised…and elated.

“Don’t be.” Arin draws near, until they’re touching. Dan, stunned, stays frozen to the spot. “Danny…I love you.” The younger man smiles, though he reaches out to place his palm on the older man’s cheek as Dan groans while more pain shoots through his stomach.

“I love you, too,” Dan smiles weakly, his eyes tired as he lowers his knees so Arin can press even closer.

Their lips meet, and, like magic, Dan doesn’t feel any pain at all. He feels like he’s floating, his senses overwhelmed by the smell, the taste, the feel of Arin wrapping around him like the warmest of blankets.

They part, just to breathe, and then Danny launches at the younger man, tackling him back against the couch, Arin laughing between presses of their lips, swallowing Danny’s giggles as they finally, finally, become a mated pair.

Love hurts. But it doesn’t hurt forever.

Dan’s so weak that he collapses on top of Arin, sighing at the feel of the warm body beneath him, the beat of his heart strong against his ear. Arin’s hand winds into his hair, and Dan purrs, nuzzling into Arin’s chest that rumbles with an affectionate chuckle.

“How long have you known?” Dan asks finally, tilting his head up to look at his soulmate.

Arin bites his lip. “The stream.” He sounds hesitant, like he knows what’s coming, but resigned, like he knows he deserves it.

Dan punches him lightly. “God damn it. You should’ve told me!”

“I had to be sure!” Arin protests. “I was worried we weren’t on the same pain level. I thought you were better off than I was.” He kisses Dan’s forehead in apology. “I didn’t realize…I never could’ve dreamed…”

“…that Mr. I’m-So-Straight could fall for a guy?” Dan finishes for him. “’S okay, dude. Practically the first time you said my name, I knew. It surprised me, too.”

“It took me forever.” Arin says in wonder.

Danny kisses him. “I’m only thirty-seven,” he says. “I could’ve been eighty.”

“What would that make me?” Arin asks.

Dan thinks for a moment. “Seventy-two,” he says. 

“Shit.” Arin runs a hand through his hair.

There’s a moment of silence, and then they’re both giggling. Dan’s head falls back onto Arin’s chest and Arin throws his head back, coughing as he chokes on air.

Once they settle, Arin kisses Dan again, soft and sweet. “Was this worth waiting for? Til you’re almost thirty-eight for?”

“Mm,” Dan nods, his eyes closed dreamily. “I’d stopped thinking it would ever happen, honestly.”

“You better be glad, Avidan.” Arin snorts, nuzzling his nose against Dan’s.

“You better believe it, Hanson,” Dan giggles, pressing a light kiss against Arin’s upper lip. The beard there is an interesting texture. He’ll have to experiment with where else on his body that beard might feel good.

Later, once he’s had some sleep.

Arin runs his hand down the knobs of Dan’s spine, making him hum contentedly. He barely hears the younger man’s voice, as close to sleep as he is.

“Dan, you should eat something.”

What a novelty, to hear his name on those lips and not feel any pain at all. Or, at least, pain not related to that exactly. His stomach, he realizes, is trying to eat itself.

“Yeah. Shit, I’m starving.”

“C’mon,” Arin sits them both up and then hoists Dan up by his thighs, carrying him to the door of the Grump room and out into the abandoned space.

Dan hooks his ankles around Arin’s waist and feels oddly complete.

He feels even more complete once Arin feeds him a truly delectable grilled cheese and takes him home.

~

The next morning, as sunshine peeks through his blinds and wakes him up, he feels serene. Arin’s morning breath is blowing a warm wind on his face, and he’s holding Dan close like he’ll never let him go.

Pain, Dan thinks as he drifts back to sleep, is definitely worth the pleasure.

**Author's Note:**

> I got this idea from watching Suzy's "Would You Rather" video, as one of the questions included this idea of you being in pain when someone said your name. So I turned it into a soulmate AU. You're welcome?


End file.
